September, 2012

  1. Back to School

    September 4, 2012 by Emma

    After a whirlwind of a week, I’ve begun classes here in Amsterdam. I definitely appreciate getting into a routine, and going to school here definitely makes it seem like I’m a resident rather than a tourist. And the whole forced bonding of orientation was really starting to get to me…

    My class today was a gender studies course with an emphasis on the homosexual culture in Amsterdam. I’ve never taken a class like this before, as I do tend to stick to my English and Art classes, but I am rather excited for it! Once I got over the fact that the class would last for four hours, I actually quite enjoyed it. I learned so much about the current political atmosphere in Amsterdam– apparently it has become much less tolerant within the past 10 years or so. It definitely gave me a lot to think about… My first assignment is to keep a sexual diary, but to be perfectly honest, I don’t think mine’s going to be terribly exciting… A cute dutch man gave me directions to the school, but that’s about the extent of it. I have noticed, at least in some of the less reputable areas that I seem to wander into with great frequency, that catcalls seem to be more of a common occurrence.

    On a different note, this is the first time I’ve done outfit photos by myself, with my little tripod and remote and I’ve got to say, it’s been quite an experience! I found what was seemingly a quiet alleyway and figured no one would bother me. How wrong I was! I must have picked the most traversed little alley in all of Amsterdam. I had the same car drive past me slowly twice, a businessman stop to watch, and a little old lady peered through her curtains at me the whole time! I’ve already resigned myself to being considered the crazy foreigner!

    Anyways, since it was the first day of school, I couldn’t resist donning a very school-child ensemble. I’m in love with this deep berry color, and I think it actually pairs quite nicely with my vintage floral dress. And of course, no school uniform is complete without a trusty backpack ;)

    Also, I got a blog lovin account… will you follow me? Follow my blog with Bloglovin

    Category Amsterdam, Outfits | Tags: | No Comments

  2. Makeup Tutorial – Understated Cat Eye

    September 2, 2012 by Emma

    I used to wear my make up like this every single day during my 60s obsession last year– it’s such a fun look! I know that the cat eye look seems difficult, but it’s really not as hard as you might think.

    1. Start with a clean base. I like to add a layer of nude eyeshadow primer as it makes the look last longer, but it’s not necessary. Just make sure that there isn’t any left over makeup from the other day. Normally, I’ll do my skin after my eyes to avoid any flakes falling on my skin, but it’s really up to you. (Don’t forget to do your eyebrows though– it makes such a difference!)

    2. Starting at the outside corner of your eye, make tiny flicks with your eyeliner brush in the direction of the outer corner of your eye. Continue making these small lines towards the inside of your eye until the top of your eye is completely lined. Try to get as close to the lash line as possible. It’s much easier to do get a clean line with small flicks rather than one brushstroke, and starting at the outside of your eye ensures that you don’t get a big glob of eyeliner at the inside of your eye where your want the line to be a bit thinner.

    You can use any type of eyeliner you want, but liquid can sometimes be rather difficult to work with, so I would recommend a gel consistency if you’re new to eyeliner. I like to mix loose eyeshadow with primer in order to create a thick consistency.

    3. This is what your eye should look like at this point!

    4. Next, you get to do the little cat flick. Extend the line you made earlier at a 45 degree angle, using the same small strokes you did earlier. Experiment with what angle works best for you– I like to follow the upward angle of my lower lid. Next, thicken the areas slightly above and below this line to make more of a triangle.

    5. Don’t worry if you mess up! This is the point where you get to fix any mistakes. Using a q-tip dipped in makeup remover, clean up the line you just made. After this, I like to go back with a flat brush and some concealer below the cat eye to really make sure it’s a sharp look.

    6. Add mascara! Be sure to get it into the base of the lashes so that they look extra full.

    Ta Da! You’re done :)

     

    Category Make-up, Tips & Tricks | Tags: | 8 Comments

  3. Hello World!

    September 1, 2012 by Emma

    It’s always so hard to begin things, and writing this post has been no different! I suppose I’ll just go right into it then… These pictures were taken on one of my last days in Hawaii, before I went abroad to study English and Art in Amsterdam. Currently I’m in the Netherlands, and will be staying here for the next 4 months. It’s the furthest I’ve ever been from home, and so far it’s been quite the whirlwind of an adventure. The program that I’m studying with has us arrive a week early so we can go through a week of orientation and “bonding.” Definitely not my favorite aspect of the journey so far, I’d much rather be thrown into it and feel like a local as soon as possible, even if I don’t look like one!

    On a different note, I found this great 90’s era lace dress at my favorite Church Thrift store with the intention of hemming it shorter, but I actually quite like the length now. Definitely something I’m not as used to, but I love the feel of the skirt swooshing about as you walk (or twirl!). I couldn’t resist sneaking in a shot with my puppy, Jazz. We found her a month ago at the humane society and we couldn’t help but bring her home with us. She was the skinniest little thing and we were sure she was part whippet, but since then she’s tripled her body weight and become covered in spots! I’m thinking she’s a Dalmatian and Great Dane mix, but who knows!

     

    Category Hawaii, Outfits | Tags: | 2 Comments

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